It may be a cliché, but it’s true. Baseball is a funny game. A single player, or a whole team can go from worst to first in the blink of an eye. People tend to forget that one bad stretch does not have to define an entire season. In this case, the previous statement can very well sum up Texas Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo. Over the last couple of weeks, Gallo has been on quite a tear. It is providing people with a much-needed distraction from the fact that he got off to a very sluggish start to 2021. Here is a look at Joey Gallo’s recent power outburst.
Five in a Row
While the Rangers have been struggling as of late, Gallo has been their lightning rod. He has hit a total of seven home runs in the last eight games that he has played in. Manager Chris Woodward, along with the fans and the rest of the coaching staff, has to be wondering where this Gallo has been since the start of spring. The latest bomb in his otherworldly stretch came on Thursday afternoon in their 8-3 win against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland Coliseum. With this latest moonshot, he becomes the first Ranger to homer in five consecutive games since Mike Napoli did it in 2012. On top of that, he joins Josh Hamilton as one of the only Rangers to hit seven home runs in a five-game stretch. As a side note, Frank Howard accomplished this feat in 1968 when the team was known as the Washington Senators. Let’s hope that Gallo’s recent power outburst continues.
That’s Not All
On top of his latest home run on Thursday, Gallo also singled twice in that contest. He has reached base safely in addition to homering in four of those five games in a row. Gallo’s recent power certainly has people talking. They know about his power, but there are still some out there that are surprised that he gets on base quite a bit even without the help of the long ball. It is very impressive. As a result of his effort, Gallo’s batting average now stands at .239. He now has an even 20 home runs and 46 RBI. He has also scored 47 runs. It will be very interesting to see what his home run total is at the end of the season. The amazing thing is that the Rangers still have half of a season to play. It is a safe bet that there aren’t a lot of people who were expecting Gallo’s recent power outburst, but they are welcoming it with open arms.
Injury Update
On July 1st, the Rangers activated outfielder David Dahl from the 10-day Injured List. Dahl is coming back from a left rib cage contusion that he suffered after crashing into a wall on May 25th. He started on July 2nd against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. The Rangers also had to put catcher Jose Trevino on the 10-day IL with a right forearm contusion. He got it while slipping in his bathroom on June 29th. Backup catcher Jonah Heim will assume Trevino’s starting responsibilities while John Hicks has been brought up from the minor leagues to be Heim’s backup.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
Players Mentioned:
Joey Gallo, Mike Napoli, Josh Hamilton, Frank Howard, David Dahl, Jose Trevino, Jonah Heim, John Hicks
